I'm having a crisis, anons. For a while now, I've been

>>38625717
(cont)

Because of all this, I find it hard to care about people's problems. I can understand them very well, but I just can't find it in myself to give a shit. I'm the kind of person that would talk to my friends about my own issues, but when it's their turn to do the same, I have to force myself to listen and comfort them.

I just don't think I can move forward with this career. This lack of empathy would impede my ability to do my job and I would be miserable, having to sit in a chair and listen to people tell me all their problems, day in and day out, until I retire. On top of all this, the thought of having to force myself to go all the way up to a PhD level of education which would take a large amount of effort as well time, not to mention the debt it would leave me in, is too overwhelming to even process.

But, I don't know what else to do. I was told all my life that going to college was the only way to earn a proper living. I don't know what I'd do if I quit. All of this is killing me on the inside. Not caring about people makes me so fucking empty. I just don't know what to do.

bump i need help please

original

How far along into the education are you ?

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>>38625717
You dont need to like people you are helping.imo its better if you just stay objective and do your work. Whether you would like the job or not is the different subject.

>>38626149
I screwed up my first couple of years, so I'm pretty behind. I have one more year for my associates and then two years after that for a bachelor's.

I know I'm not too far to turn back, but I just feel paralyzed by worry. I don't know if I can keep going, but the thought of losing what little I've worked for and having to go back to square one is too frightening of a possibility to deal with. Not to mention that I wouldn't know what else to do.

>>38625717
>>38625732
You're literally me, the BA in psych, the wanting to get a PHD/PsyD to be a therapist, everything but the part about closing yourself off. I'm still fighting off bitterness so it doesn't consume me.

Just go into clinical research psychology. A lot (too fucking many) PHDs follow a "clinical scientist" model where basically your only purpose in life is to be a researcher. You can see your "clients" (let's be real they're your subjects and nothing more), still help the field as a whole, and probably make more money than a private practice clinician if you get on a tenure track.

>>38626352
Lmao so you basically have nothing. Well may as well change programs. You don't seem confident in your abilities whatsoever and say the job doesn't suit you, soo...

>>38626352
>I have one more year for my associates
I'm >>38626370 and I missed that line. Wow you've literally done nothing in psychology so far. You still have prime opportunity to jump ship if you find something else.

Or you could always follow the original post I made.

>>38626382
>>38626452
But what the fuck do I do if I quit? Psychology is the only subject I have any interest in.

I guess there was no point in me making this thread. I have no idea what else I would do besides stick with my original plan. I just have to work through my issues before I accomplish it.

i can't fucking handle life fuck i want to die

>>38626527
You have to find something you're truly passionate about, pursue it and a job will come. I didn't figure that out till I was 24, I dunno how old you are. Thankfully I didn't go to university and waste money before

As someone who's seen literally over a dozen psychologists and psychiatrists, I have to say that if you have little personal investment in your patients you will be fucking shit. Dehumanizing your patients and seeing them as little more than a subject is one of the worst things you can do for people that are in desperate need of empathy and compassion. Do everyone a favor and find a different degree, before your self-centeredness ruins other people's lives.

>>38626527
Like I said, go into to research. Not caring about your subjects is practically in your job description. Or do something like psychometrics where you remove the human element all together but you're still technically in the psych field.

>>38625732
>>38625717
if you're practicing psychiatry or basic CBT, you don't really need to empathize with people's problems to help them. CBT is basically "why don't ever time you think of doing this, you just think of doing this other better thing instead." And psychiatry is just using drugs to do the therapy.

If you are doing analytic work, you will go through analysis before you practice, so that will help you work through your issues so that you can empathize.

If you lack the ability to empathize with your patient, or you lack the ability to work through their issues so that they can understand how you empathize with them, you are a shitty therapist.

There are a lot of shitty therapists out there, so you would join their ranks at that point.